Gavin Newsoms ex-chief of staff has key sentencing date in corruption case

Dana Williamson, a former chief of staff to Gov.Gavin Newsom, will learn this fall whether she’ll go to prison after pleading guilty in a corruption scheme that siphoned $225,000 from a campaign committee tied to Xavier Becerra, the Democratic frontrunner to succeed Newsom.A federal judge has scheduled Williamson’s sentencing for Sept.

17 at the Robert T.Matsui U.S.

Courthouse in Sacramento after prosecutors and defense attorneys reached an agreement on the timing, according to The Sacramento Bee.Williamson, who served as Newsom’s chief of staff from 2022 to 2024, pleaded guilty in May to bank fraud, filing a false tax return and lying to the FBI.She faces a statutory maximum sentence of 38 years in prison and fines totaling up to $1.35 million, though federal sentencing guidelines are expected to recommend substantially less.The once-powerful Democratic operative admitted helping Sean McCluskie, Becerra’s former chief of staff, secretly funnel campaign money into his personal bank account.

The scheme relied on sham consulting contracts, prosecutors said.The case exploded into one of the biggest political scandals in recent California history after the FBI secretly enlisted Sacramento power lobbyist Alexis Podesta to cooperate with investigators.Williamson’s attorney, former U.S.

Attorney McGregor Scott, previously told The Post that Podesta — not Williamson — wore an FBI recording device that captured conversations with political insiders, prompting federal agents to interview or contact dozens of lobbyists, consultants and other Capitol power brokers as the corruption probe widened.Scott did not immediately respond to requests for comment.California's top news, sports and entertainment delivered to your inbox every day.

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